At least 30 retired justices of the Supreme Court and various high courts attended a meeting hosted by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s legal cell. The discussion reportedly covered the legal disputes surrounding the Varanasi and Mathura temples, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and religious conversions, among other things. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was also present at the event on Sunday.

“We had invited retired Judges of the Supreme Court and high courts. The collective issues before the society — such as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, handing back of temples, handing over of temples under government control (to the society), conversions etc — were discussed. The objective was free exchange of views between the Judges and the VHP so that both develop an understanding of each other,” VHP president Alok Kumar said, per Indian Express.

VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal described the meeting as a platform for exchange of ideas and said, “There was discussion on nationalism and Hindutva. The laws affecting Hindus, liberation of temples, religious conversions, killing of cows and the Waqf Board were discussed.”

Later, Meghwal shared photographs of the gathering on X, and said, “There was a detailed discussion on judicial reforms aimed at making India a developed country.”

A senior VHP leader reportedly said that the role of judges does not end with retirement, and they must contribute to “rashtra nirman” (nation building).

Several cases related to the Sangh Parivar are currently under judicial review. These include the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque dispute in Varanasi and the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid Idgah conflict in Mathura. The anti-conversion laws enacted by BJP-ruled states are being scrutinised by the courts, and the Waqf Bill is under review by a Joint Committee of Parliament.

“This is the first time that we have organised such an event. We plan to make it a regular affair. Such exchange of ideas will help the legal fraternity understand our views, and we will develop some legal understanding to take forward our agendas. After all, we are looking at legal ways of achieving our goals,” a senior VHP leader said.

Following the Supreme Court’s 2019 order in the Ayodhya case, the Sangh Parivar believes that rather than engaging in disruptive ground-level movements, pursuing legal resolutions through the courts is a more effective strategy for contentious issues like Kashi and Mathura.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad members have been among the litigants in several such cases.